So many beers- So little time…Newbies is your essential map to the “best of the best” and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week and this week we’re all about the cold-weather seasonals …From Half Acre’s Quakerbridge to  Russian River’s Beatification Batch #6 , we’ve  got all kinds of new seasonals you’re going to want to chase down.

So welcome to another edition of Newbies – your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!

It’s A Big Country (Portland, OR) – Breakside Brewery has just announced the first in a series of special seasonal beers available in bottles and on draft. Big Country is their 7.8% ABV winter warmer – a rich and balanced strong ale inspired by the starkbiers and weinnachtsbiers sold in the winter open air markets of Germany.

Pure Bliss for Pure Biss (Portsmouth, NH) – Smuttynose Brewing Company has just released what they refer to as an “unconventional Wit Beer as part of their Smuttlabs Series and it’s out there now. Pure Biss is a special limited release Witbier brewed with star chef Jamie Bissonnette that features spruce tips, grapefruit zest and lime leaves.

Fan Sourced Favorite Returns (Escondido, CA) -Last summer, the Stone Brewing Company  posed a question to their fans  via their social mediaaccounts–If Stone could brew any style of beer, what would their fans, want? The answer was a resounding plea for Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean.Beginning December 2^nd devotees nationwide will once again be able to purchase and enjoy this rich libation and this year’s release will be encased in generous 22-ounce bottles!

Clown Shoes Gets Hammered! (Lexington, MA)- Clown Shoes Beer has an enormous limited release beer hitting shelves right now – so be ready.  Hammer of the Holy is the company’s Vampire Slayer Smoked Imperial Stout aged in rum barrels for five months before being unleashed on the innocent.

Quakerbridge (Chicago, IL) – Last Tuesday, the Half Acre Beer Company released one of our favorite Barley Wines – and even if you think that you’re not a fan of this style – this beer may have you rethinking things. Quakerbridge Barley Wine is a 10% ABV jolt of richness with a stiff hop presence and its available now at the Half Acre Tap Room – so you know what to do!

Russian River Gets Beautiful   (Santa Rosa, CA) – Our friends at Russian River will  releasing  the next batch of the legendary  Beatification, their  100% spontaneously fermented barrel-aged sour beer  on Saturday, December 14^th Beatification Batch #6  is a brewpub only release and will also be available on draft. There will be a limit of 12 bottles per person – so be smart and get on the road early.